"Sultana's Dream" by Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1905)
Catalog & Introduction to the Literary Exhibition
Editorial team: Sydney Dudley, Rachel Lowe, Izabella Pezza, Phoebe Solo-Sakss
(Additional editing by Heidi L. Pennington)
Please note: This catalog discusses key plot points of the narrative. To avoid spoilers, please read "Sultana's Dream" first, and then return to this introduction.
The purpose of this exhibit is to showcase how “Sultana’s Dream” by Rokeya Sahkawat Hossain belongs in Haunted Victorians: An Anthology of Literary Exhibits because of how it subverts elements of horror to capture the haunting presence of the patriarchal system. This exhibit will explore how the author depicts elements of horror through gaps in the narrative, showing how these portrayals of patriarchy ultimately “haunt” the protagonist. Evidence used to argue that analyzing “Sultana’s Dream” as a Victorian ghost story adds to its implications and power as a critique of patriarchy will include: analysis of narrative structure, framing, characterization, and thematic elements related to the uncanny. “Sultana’s Dream” belongs in the Haunted Victorians anthology because it uses narrative elements commonly found in the horror genre to explore the haunting presence of the patriarchy on the main character Sultana. While there is no traditional ghost in the narrative, the story is productive and challenging as a Victorian ghost story because of its portrayal of the patriarchy.
Key terms used throughout the exhibit include “horror,” “terror,” and “uncanny.” The definitions provided in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) serve as the employed definitions for these terms. The OED defines horror as “A painful emotion compounded of loathing and fear; a shuddering with terror and repugnance; strong aversion mingled with dread; the feeling excited by something shocking or frightful.” (OED). They define terror as, “The state of being terrified or extremely frightened; intense fear or dread; an instance or feeling of this” (OED). During the Victorian Era, horror was defined as a lesser state of fear, and terror was defined as a lasting fear (Hay 20). Another term used in this exhibit is “uncanny,” defined by the OED as “Partaking of a supernatural character; mysterious, weird, uncomfortably strange or unfamiliar” (OED); it is frequently understood, more specifically, to be an unsettling experience that combines elements of the familiar with the unfamiliar, blurring the boundary.
Overview of “Sultana’s Dream”
The plot of “Sultana's Dream” follows a linear narrative. The main character, Sultana, drifts into a dreamlike state while claiming to be wide awake. As she lounges in her bedroom gazing outside, she encounters a woman who ignites the recognition of her friend, Sister Sara. Although she cannot recall how Sister Sara came in, Sultana immediately trusts this woman enough to accept her invitation to walk in a garden together. This begins her journey in Ladyland. Here, Sister Sara gives her a tour of the capital city, amazing Sultana with its many gardens and people who abide by a familiar yet unique matriarchal culture that dominates the region. Throughout their walk, Sister Sara explains how Ladyland came to be, how it functions, and how gender expectations operate in direct opposition to the ideals of patriarchy (Hossain). This role reversal, paired with the realization that the woman guiding her is not Sister Sara, creates feelings of unease within Sultana and the audience.
The uncanny nature of Sultana's perception carries into her self-doubt and mental disconnect to Ladyland. When first introduced to the reversal of gender norms by being ridiculed by the other women in Ladyland, she believes it is a joke. Then she becomes insecure of her mistake and retreats into the gender norms of her world, apologetic for her awkwardness in being unveiled. The stranger whom she decides to continue calling Sister Sara alleviates her anxieties by beginning her commentary of Ladyland as a safe place of virtue. Sister Sara blatantly states gender stereotypes toward men as reason to oppress them (Hossain). The subjugation of men in Ladyland is a direct parallel of how women are treated in Sultana's society. The standards of Ladyland are something Sultana finds amusing as she continues to learn about them.
The positions and opportunities given to women in Ladyland are perceived as grand because women in Sultana’s world do not have access to them (Hossain). The political, educational, economic, and environmental systems are idyllic. Sultana asks to meet the Queen of this amazing place, and Sister Sara introduces them. After conversing with the Queen, she leaves but is surprised to find herself returned to her known world, still reclining in the same chair she "left" in (Hossain).
Having offered an overview of the plot of “Sultana’s Dream” in this essay, we have also curated several elements to enhance readers’ experiences of this short story. This literary exhibit includes three key components: annotations, an audiobook, and a visual gallery.
Annotations are viewable on the text itself. To read them, viewers must click on the highlighted text to read the corresponding annotations. The annotations focus on four major elements of the story and how they relate to the central claim that “Sultana’s Dream” is a ghost story wherein patriarchal structures and ideologies haunt the narrator’s dream. A customized tagging system was created to distinguish between the different categories of annotations used. Tags include: “narrative-elements,” “patriarchy,” “characterization,” and “historical context.” These annotations contain in-depth commentary and close-readings of passages which support the argument that “Sultana’s Dream” uses ghost story tendencies and tropes to highlight the impacts of patriarchal power.
There are also annotations linking to various parts of the audiobook created for this exhibition. These are tagged “audiobook.” The audiobook is published on YouTube as a video file, accessible to the public only via the link embedded in the COVE Anthology. The audiobook includes an audio recording of the entire short story and contains several timestamps if a listener wishes to hear only a portion of the story. These timestamped links are embedded in the appropriate sections of the text on the COVE Anthology. A link to the entire audiobook is embedded as an annotation in the title of the short story.
The gallery available on COVE Editions is a compilation of public domain images which provide visual aids for readers to immerse themselves in the aesthetic of the story “Sultana’s Dream.”
The categorization of annotations serves to offer readers insights into the various aspects of the text which situate it within the context of an anthology of Victorian ghost stories. Through annotations focused on historical context, characterization, narrative elements, and patriarchal structures, the annotations collectively demonstrate how “Sultana’s Dream” portrays elements of horror and terror through an uncanny lens.
Historical Context
"Sultana's Dream" offers a unique perspective on the shifting political dynamics in Bengal. Annotations labeled “Historical Context” provide background information for the political and social atmosphere in the early 1900s. Hossain herself, through her advocacy and educational initiatives, contributed to a wave of women's empowerment. As a prolific writer, Hossain utilized her literary works to address social issues, particularly gender inequality (Mookerjea-Leonard). Bengal, in the early 1900s, witnessed a transformative period marked by social reform movements such as the Swadeshi Movement. The partition of Bengal in 1905 laid the groundwork for the Swadeshi Movement, a movement focused on promoting Indian goods and industries (Greenough). Bengal also witnessed social reform, as organizations such as Brahmo Samaj sought to empower women by challenging customs such as child marriage and 'sati.' This period also saw the active involvement of women in the Indian nationalist movement (Ray). The works of writers like Hossain, alongside the contributions of women activists, reflected the evolving roles and perceptions of women during this pivotal period. These changes not only redefined womanhood but also contributed to subsequent advancements in gender equality, leaving an enduring legacy for generations to come.
Characters
The set of character annotations tagged as “characterization” within the text provide an understanding of the story's cast and their importance to the overall narrative. In “Sultana's Dream,” each of the selected characters have a purpose. Whether to display, defy, or ridicule, their roles mirror and subvert the gender expectations within the story world. The story begins with the main character and homodiegetic narrator Sultana, an Indian woman inside the story world who provides information to the audience. She is implied to have high status and is a window for the audience into her recollection of this experience (Hossain).
The second character Hossain introduces is Sister Sara. She guides Sultana and therefore the audience, through Ladyland. She is a figure who seems securely familiar but is then recognized to be a stranger. She serves as a source of information on the intricacies of Ladyland while also having intimate knowledge of Sultana's world. Sister Sara is an activist in her expectations and arguments toward Sultana (Hossain).
The Women of Ladyland are introduced by Sultana as she realizes they are joking about her (Hossain). They are enforcing a modified set of the usual gender expectations. With the opportunities available in Ladyland, they have become fully realized individuals. Women are able to be independent, having an education and working to support themselves. Yet, they continue to be complicit in their own societal roles while ignoring the hypocrisy of it by accepting their set of gender expectations and promoting the incapability of men, which position inversely reflects the patriarchy they despise.
Although not a true character, the setting of Ladyland can be personified as one. The setting becomes a character through the language surrounding it. Hossain uses terms such as “beautiful,” “safe,” “virtuous,” “plentiful,” and unlike anything the main character has seen before. Ladyland is birthed through women enacting their agency and fighting for a space to comfortably exist. Using a system of government made by women, for women, Ladyland is idyllic in how smoothly it continues to thrive and the things it provides for its population. Ladyland does not fall short in any quality if you are a woman; filled with gardens, running on clean energy, scientific advancement, and more (Hossain).
The Men of Ladyland are only acknowledged through how the female characters perceive them. They are considered less than and kept hidden away in mardana to practice purdah, the masculine form of zenana (Hossain). Like women in Sultana's world, the men in Ladyland are deeply stereotyped, especially in how the men are described as mentally slow. The irony is palpable and it is supposed to be. This system is a commentary on and reflection of the oppressive hypocrisy of any gendered rules (Malghani).
Lady Principal is responsible for her effort in changing the political landscape in Ladyland. Done through her scientific discoveries concerning the sun, she is able to create a weapon that harnesses its power. She uses it to defend against the enemy and lead the women of Ladyland to victory (Hossain). She exemplifies the amazing things women can accomplish when given a position of power.
The Queen of Ladyland is a figurehead that serves her country through diplomatic means. She is elegant, well-mannered, and open to explaining her process. Considered to be benevolent in her punishment of crimes, she is ruling her country with love (Hossain). She is a symbol of Ladyland and by extension, femininity. Notably, the queen displays the qualities considered “perfect” in a woman in both worlds. She upholds certain positive stereotypes of women in a way that contributes to both patriarchal and matriarchal thinking.
Narrative Form
The third series of annotations embedded into the short story focus on narrative elements and how they contribute to the notion of “Sultana’s Dream” as a ghost story. Specifically, annotations with the tag “narrative-elements” focus on narrators, framing, gaps, story, and discourse. Understanding the difference between “story” and “discourse” is key for reading annotations with this tag. The term “story” describes the actual information or content of a narrative whereas the term “discourse” refers to how this information is presented (Shen 222). There are two primary narrators in this story: Sultana and Sister Sara (Hossain). Their narratives are both framed in ways which reinforce the uncanniness of Sultana’s experience. Annotations with the “narrative-elements” tag explore how these two narrators, through the framing of the story elements they share, contribute to the sense of horror which makes “Sultana’s Dream” far more terrifying than it may seem on the surface.
Throughout the story “Sultana’s Dream,” the main character is confronted with a society that functions similarly to her own with gender roles switched (Hossain). Readers see throughout the text moments where Sultana’s preconceived notions of society are different from what she experiences in Ladyland. Through her interactions with Sister Sara, readers can see how the patriarchal society Sultana lives in has left an imprint on her unconscious. Annotations which delve into the patriarchal impact on Sultana’s unconscious will be tagged as “Patriarchy.” In this anthology, I will be using the Oxford English Dictionary's definition of patriarchy: “The predominance of men in positions of power and influence in society, with cultural values and norms favoring men. Frequently with pejorative connotations” as well as their definition for haunting: “Of imaginary or spiritual beings, ghosts, etc.: To visit frequently and habitually with manifestations of their influence and presence, usually of a molesting kind” (OED). There are moments in the text where Sultana doubts her abilities and questions Sister Sara on how women are capable of running the society. When expanded upon, these moments show how Sultana’s mind still functions under the assumptions which the patriarchy employs to run a male dominated society, and haunt her as she walks through this matriarchal society. Sultana is shown how women are not subordinate to men and are capable of being educated, and hold political office. After Sultana sees in action how women are just as capable as men, she wakes up and readers leave her without any idea of how the dream affects her afterwards (Hossain). These annotations will consult different scholars such as Srimati Mukherjee and Niaz Zaman on specific feminist readings of “Sultana’s Dream” and include knowledge from Sally Engle Merry and Nancy Julia Chodorow on how patriarchy manifests in the psychology of women. When analyzing gardens and their meaning in Abrahamic religions the annotations consult Nerina Rustomji, Anna Berlinger Gabrielle, and Riklef Kandeler and Wolfram R. Ullrich.
Conclusion
Though untraditional in many ways, “Sultana's Dream” has earned its place in the Haunted Victorians anthology. The similarities and subversions it shares with the overall genre of typical horror stories of the time validates this categorization. The story's narrative elements create its haunting through symbolism by giving form to contrasting ideals of the patriarchy and feminism within a specific society. There may not be a literal ghost in “Sultana’s Dream,” but many horror stories function perfectly well without them, and this is just one example. It is important to recognize the fluidity of genre and narrative elements found in a specific genre can be used in others to emphasize a message. By reading “Sultana’s Dream” as a Victorian ghost story, readers acknowledge how patriarchal systems have a broader effect on people than might be assumed. When reading the patriarchy as the cause of a “haunting,” one is able to see the psychological unrest perpetuated by sexist societal structures. Sahkawat Hossain challenges the ancient societal system in her short story and utilizes elements of the horror genre to awaken readers to the scary truths behind the actualization of the patriarchy on the minds of women, making it a Victorian ghost story.